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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. land — ground
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. land — to come down
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stock — shares
  9. rush — hurry
  10. land — a country
  11. lean — thin
  12. current — happening now
  13. shower — rain
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fine — high quality
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fine — all right
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com